Cultivation sheet, method for manufacturing cultivation sheet, and apparatus for manufacturing cultivation sheet

Abstract

To provide a cultivation sheet capable of improving productivity, a method for manufacturing the cultivation sheet, and an apparatus for manufacturing the cultivation sheet.SOLUTION: A cultivation sheet comprises: a front side piece 1a and a rear side piece 1b facing each other by folding in half a single water-absorbent sheet 10 that is square or rectangular and has intermittently arranged slits 1d between opposing sides thereof along the slits 1d; and a storage part B capable of storing seeds, which is formed between the front side piece 1a and the rear side piece 1b above a joint part 1c, the joint part 1c being formed along a lateral width direction as viewed from a front-rear direction by intermittently joining portions of the front side piece 1a and the rear side piece 1b, which face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cultivation sheet, a method for manufacturing a cultivation sheet, and a cultivation sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a hydroponic cultivation device includes a cultivation tub that stores water inside, a seedbed having a rectangular holder placed in the cultivation tub, and an absorbent cultivation sheet that is held by the holder and suspended inside the cultivation tub, the cultivation sheet having a pair of opposing sheets, a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing parts above the pair of sheets in the left-right width direction, and a storage section formed above the joint and between the pair of sheets that is capable of holding seeds (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The cultivation sheet with the seeds in the container is hung in a cultivation tub via a holder, and the lower end of the cultivation sheet is immersed in water, whereby the cultivation sheet absorbs the water and supplies it to the seeds, causing them to germinate and grow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-5509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to mass-produce plants using such a hydroponic cultivation device, a large amount of cultivation sheets is also required. However, the cultivation sheets are manufactured by overlapping two sheets and intermittently joining the opposing portions of the sheets in the left-right direction. This requires a process of aligning the sheets before joining them, and this alignment process reduces the productivity of the cultivation sheets, especially when mass-producing the cultivation sheets.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation sheet capable of improving productivity, a manufacturing method for the cultivation sheet, and an apparatus for manufacturing the cultivation sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the cultivation sheet of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a front piece and a rear piece that face each other by folding a water-absorbent sheet, which is a square or rectangular sheet having intermittent notches between the opposing sides, in half along the notches, and a storage section that can hold seeds and is formed between the front piece and the rear piece above a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing parts of the front piece and the rear piece along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. With this configuration, when the sheet is folded in half along the intermittent notches, the front piece can be automatically aligned with the rear piece and opposed to each other, so that the process of aligning the front piece and the rear piece before joining them during the production of the cultivation sheet can be omitted.

[0008] In addition, the manufacturing method of the cultivation sheet of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a cultivation sheet which comprises a single absorbent sheet having a square or rectangular shape and notches intermittently made between opposing sides, which is folded in half along the notches to form opposing front and rear pieces, and a storage section capable of holding seeds, which is formed between the front and rear pieces above a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-to-back direction, and is characterized by having the steps of: making intermittent notches along the longitudinal direction at or near the center of the short side of a band-shaped base sheet; folding the base sheet in half along the notches to form the front and rear pieces; intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet to form a joint; and cutting the base sheet to a predetermined longitudinal length. According to this configuration, when the base sheet is folded in half along the intermittently made cuts, the front piece is automatically aligned with the rear piece so that they face each other, eliminating the need for a process of aligning the front and rear pieces before joining them.

[0009] The cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention is a cultivation sheet manufacturing device that includes a front piece and a rear piece that face each other by folding a water-absorbent sheet having a square or rectangular shape and intermittently made between the opposing sides along the incisions, and a storage section that can hold seeds and is formed between the front piece and the rear piece above a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing parts of the front piece and the rear piece along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-back direction, and is characterized in that it includes a drawing device that draws in a strip-shaped base material sheet in one direction, a cutter that is arranged upstream of the drawing device and can move toward and away from the base material sheet and can cut the center or near the center of the short side direction of the base material sheet, and a driving means that moves the cutter toward and away from the base material sheet at a predetermined time interval. According to this configuration, the base material sheet is cut while the cutter is approaching and in contact with the base material sheet, and the base material sheet is not cut while the cutter is moving away from the base material sheet, so that intermittent incisions can be made in the center or near the center of the short side direction of the base material sheet.

[0010] In addition, in the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention, the driving means is characterized by having a rotationally driven cam and an arm that holds a cutter and moves up and down relative to the base sheet by the rotational drive of the cam. With this configuration, the rotational motion of the cam is converted into the up and down motion of the arm that holds the cutter, so that the cutter can be moved toward and away from the base sheet at a predetermined time interval. In addition, the interval and length of the cuts can be easily adjusted by adjusting the rotational speed of the cam and the number and interval of the cam protrusions provided on the cam.

[0011] In addition, in the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention, the cutter is a circular blade that is disk-shaped and can cut the base sheet at its outer periphery, and is characterized by having a rotating shaft that rotatably holds the cutter, and a rotary drive means that rotates the cutter by a predetermined angle when the cutter is separated from the base sheet by the drive means. With this configuration, the cutter rotates by a predetermined angle every time the cutter is separated from the base sheet, so that only a part of the cutter does not wear out early. Therefore, it is possible to cut the base sheet for a long time without replacing the cutter.

[0012] In addition, the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a weight connected to the rotating shaft. With this configuration, the cutter is pressed against the base sheet by the weight, so that the load required for cutting the base sheet can be applied, thereby suppressing the occurrence of cutting defects.

[0013] In addition, in the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention, the rotary drive means has a friction member arranged above the rotary shaft, and when the cutter is separated from the base sheet by the drive means, the rotary shaft abuts against the friction member to rotate the cutter by a predetermined angle. With this configuration, the cutter can be rotated by a predetermined angle by utilizing the separation of the rotary shaft holding the cutter from the base sheet by the drive means, so there is no need to prepare a separate power for the rotary drive means, and costs can be reduced.

[0014] In addition, the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention includes a cutting device having a cutter and a driving means and intermittently making a cut in the center or near the center of the short side of the base sheet, a folding device that folds the base sheet in half along the cut to form a front piece and a rear piece, a joining device that intermittently joins the opposing parts of the front piece and the rear piece along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet, and a cutting device that cuts the base sheet to a predetermined longitudinal length, and the retracting device is capable of retracting the base sheet intermittently, and is characterized in that the retracting of the base sheet is stopped at the timing when the joining device joins the front piece and the rear piece and the timing when the cutting device cuts the base sheet. According to this configuration, the joining of the front piece and the rear piece and the cutting of the base sheet are performed with the retraction of the base sheet stopped, so that it is possible to prevent the position of the joint and the cutting position of the base sheet from being misaligned.

[0015] In addition, in the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention, the drawing device has a drive machine and a pair of drawing rollers that are rotated by the drive machine and clamp the base material sheet to draw the base material sheet in one direction, and is characterized in that a recess that does not abut the base material sheet is provided in a predetermined range in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of at least one of the drawing rollers. According to this configuration, while the part other than the recess faces the base material sheet, the base material sheet is drawn in one direction by the drawing roller, and while the recess faces the base material sheet, the drawing roller rotates idly and the drawing of the base material sheet stops. Therefore, the drawing device can draw the base material sheet intermittently. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the cultivation sheet of the present invention, since the step of aligning the front piece and the rear piece before joining them during manufacturing can be omitted, the cultivation sheet can be easily manufactured and productivity can be improved. In addition, the cultivation sheet manufacturing method and the cultivation sheet manufacturing device of the present invention can manufacture such a cultivation sheet. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the hydroponic cultivation apparatus and seedbed of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the hydroponic cultivation device of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the seedbed of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] A front view showing the cultivation sheet of the present embodiment in an unfolded state. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing apparatus for a cultivation sheet according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a storage section and a cutting device in a cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] This figure shows the operation of the cam of the driving means in the cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, where (A) shows the state in which the rod portion of the arm is positioned between the cam protrusions of the cam, (B) shows the state in which the rod portion has climbed onto the cam protrusions and moved upward, and (C) shows the state in which the rod portion has climbed over the cam protrusions and returned to its original position. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a folding device in a cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of a joining device in a cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a drawing device and a cutting device in a cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the pull-in rollers of the pull-in device in the cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, where (A) shows the state in which the clamping portions of the pull-in rollers face each other, and (B) shows the state in which the recesses of the pull-in rollers face each other. [Figure 12] This is an oblique view showing the state in which the cutting blade of the cutting device in the cultivation sheet manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment moves downward to cut the base sheet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

[0019] The cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment can be used for a hydroponic cultivation apparatus A. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hydroponic cultivation apparatus A includes a cultivation tub 2 having an upper opening and storing water W therein, and a plurality of seedbeds 4 each having a holder 3 installed inside the cultivation tub 2 and a cultivation sheet 1 held by the holder 3 and suspended inside the cultivation tub 2.

[0020] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the cultivation sheet 1 has opposing front and rear pieces 1a and 1b formed by folding a single absorbent square sheet 10 in half along the incisions 1d, with the sheet having notches 1d intermittently placed between the opposing sides, and a storage section B capable of holding seeds, formed between the front and rear pieces 1a and 1b above a joint 1c formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces 1a and 1b along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-to-back direction.

[0021] When the lower end of the cultivation sheet 1 suspended from the cultivation tub 2 via the holder 3 is immersed in water W, the cultivation sheet 1 absorbs the water W and supplies it to the seeds (not shown), allowing the seeds to germinate and grow.

[0022] Below, a detailed description will be given of each part of the hydroponic cultivation device A. As shown in Fig. 1, the cultivation tub 2 includes a tub body 20 having a rectangular bottom 20a and four side walls 20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e that stand up from each side of the bottom 20a, and formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top. Water W is stored inside the tub body 20.

[0023] 1, the cultivation barrel 2 has a pair of pedestals 21, 21 that protrude from a position lower than the upper end on the inner periphery of the side walls 20b, 20c on the long sides facing each other in the short direction toward the opposing side walls 20b, 20c and extend along the longitudinal direction of the barrel body 20. Each pedestal 21 has a plurality of longitudinal grooves 21a formed thereon and arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction, so that a holder 3 of the seedbed 4, which will be described later, can be hooked and installed in the pair of opposing longitudinal grooves 21a, 21a.

[0024] The configuration of the cultivation tub 2 is not limited to the rectangular box shape described above, and is not particularly limited as long as it can store water and can accommodate the holder 3. For example, the cultivation tub may be configured to include a frame body, a support member having legs that support the frame body from below, and a moisture-permeable waterproof sheet that is fixed in a slack state inside the frame body, and water may be stored in the slackened parts of the moisture-permeable waterproof sheet.

[0025] Next, a detailed description will be given of the seedbed 4 consisting of the holder 3 and the cultivation sheet 1 held by the holder 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cultivation sheet 1 includes a front piece 1a and a rear piece 1b whose lower ends are intermittently connected, a joint 1c formed by intermittently joining opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b, and a storage section B formed above the joint 1c and between the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b, capable of holding seeds.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the cultivation sheet 1 is a square, absorbent fiber sheet 10 having intermittent cuts 1d between opposing sides, which is folded in half along the cuts 1d, with the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and rear piece 1b intermittently joined by thermal welding.

[0027] In this way, since notches 1d are intermittently provided between the lower ends of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b, even if the lower ends of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b are connected, the roots of the plant germinated in the storage section B can extend through the notches 1d.

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the notch 1d is provided near the center of the sheet that constitutes the cultivation sheet 1, specifically, at a position shifted a predetermined distance upward or downward from the center, so that the upper end of the rear piece 1b protrudes upward by a length twice the above-mentioned predetermined distance beyond the upper end of the front piece 1a.

[0029] Since the upper end of the rear piece 1b protrudes upward above the upper end of the front piece 1a in this manner, when the seedbed 4 is suspended in the cultivation barrel 2, as shown in Figure 2, the rear piece 1b can be easily pushed down toward the opposite front side to widen the opening of the storage section B, making it easier to place seeds into the storage section B.

[0030] The extension (length) of the upper end of the rear piece 1b protruding upward from the upper end of the front piece 1a may be appropriately determined in consideration of the ease of widening the opening of the storage section B. In this example, the upper end of the rear piece 1b protrudes upward from the upper end of the front piece 1a, but the upper end of the front piece 1a may protrude upward from the upper end of the rear piece 1b. However, the upper ends of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b may be aligned, and in that case, a cut 1d may be provided in the center of the sheet 10 constituting the cultivation sheet 1.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 3, the holder 3 has a rectangular plate portion 30 extending horizontally and having a width equal to that of the cultivation sheet 1, a rod portion 31 provided at the upper end of the plate portion 30, an axial length formed longer than the width of the plate portion 30, and each end portion protruding laterally from each side end portion of the plate portion 30, and a hook-and-loop fastener 32 provided on the surface of the plate portion 30 as a holding tape capable of detachably holding the cultivation sheet 1. In Fig. 2, the hook-and-loop fastener 32 is made thicker than the actual thickness in order to make the configuration of the holder 3 easier to understand.

[0032] The hook-and-loop fastener 32 has a number of extremely small hooks that can be hooked onto the fibers of the fiber cultivation sheet 1. When the surface of the opposite rear side of the front piece 1a of the cultivation sheet 1 is brought into surface contact with the hook-and-loop fastener 32 so that the upper ends are aligned, the hooks of the hook-and-loop fastener 32 are hooked onto the fibers of the cultivation sheet 1, and the cultivation sheet 1 is attached to the hook-and-loop fastener 32. Therefore, the cultivation sheet 1 is held by the holder 3 with the upper end of the front piece 1a and the upper end of the plate portion 30 aligned.

[0033] Then, the front piece 1a of the cultivation sheet 1 is attached to the plate part 30 of the holder 3 in a surface contact state via the hook-and-loop fastener 32, and the cultivation sheet 1 is continuously attached to the plate part 30 in the left and right width direction, and the upper end of the front piece 1a does not slacken, so no gap is generated between the cultivation sheet 1 and the holder 3. Therefore, when seeds are placed in the storage part B, it is possible to prevent the seeds from getting between the cultivation sheet 1 and the holder 3 and being wasted. The means for attaching the hook-and-loop fastener 32 to the plate part 30 of the holder 3 is not particularly limited, and it may be attached by, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the holding tape is a hook-and-loop fastener 32, but the holding tape is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the cultivation sheet 1 detachably, and may be, for example, a double-sided tape. However, since the force of holding the cultivation sheet 1 does not change even if the hook-and-loop fastener 32 is washed, if the holding tape is a hook-and-loop fastener 32, the holder 3 after use can be washed and reused. This reduces the effort of reattaching the holding tape to the plate portion 30 every time the holder 3 is washed, and is economical because the same hook-and-loop fastener 32 can be used repeatedly.

[0035] In addition, the means for holding the cultivation sheet 1 to the holder 3 is not limited to a holding tape, and for example, multiple protrusions may be provided on the plate portion 30 of the holder 3, and the cultivation sheet 1 may be pierced by the protrusions to hold the cultivation sheet 1 to the holder 3.

[0036] The axial length of the rod portion 31 is set to be longer than the distance between a pair of pedestals 21, 21 facing each other in the left-right direction of the cultivation barrel 2, and shorter than the distance between the left and right side walls 20b, 20c facing each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, each end of the rod portion 31 can be hooked onto the vertical grooves 21a, 21a provided on the pair of pedestals 21, 21 facing each other in the left-right direction, so that the holder 3 can be installed inside the cultivation barrel 2.

[0037] Therefore, when the holder 3 holding the cultivation sheet 1 is placed inside the cultivation barrel 2 as described above, the cultivation sheet 1 is suspended inside the cultivation barrel 2 and immersed in the water W stored in the cultivation barrel 2, as shown in Figure 2.

[0038] The above-mentioned configuration of the holder 3 is merely an example, and the configuration of the holder 3 is not particularly limited as long as it can be installed inside the cultivation tub 2 while holding the cultivation sheet 1.

[0039] Next, a manufacturing method for continuously manufacturing the above-mentioned cultivation sheet 1 from the belt-shaped base sheet S and a manufacturing device for realizing the manufacturing method will be described in detail.

[0040] The manufacturing method of the cultivation sheet 1 in this embodiment includes a step of making intermittently cuts 1d along the longitudinal direction at or near the center of the short side of the strip-shaped base sheet S (cutting step), a step of folding the base sheet S in half along the cuts 1d to form a front piece 1a and a rear piece 1b (folding step), a step of intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S to form a joint 1c (joining step), and a step of cutting the base sheet S to a predetermined longitudinal length (cutting step).

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 that realizes the above manufacturing method includes a cutting device 5 that performs the above cutting process, a folding device 6 that performs the above folding process, a joining device 7 that performs the above joining process, and a cutting device 8 that performs the above cutting process, and these devices are installed in the order described above.

[0042] A loader D having an axis Db that rotatably holds a reel Da on which a strip-shaped base sheet S is wound in a circular shape is set upstream of the cutting device 5, and a retracting device 9 is provided between the joining device 7 and the cutting device 8 to retract and move the base sheet S stored in the loader D in one direction.

[0043] Thus, the strip-shaped base sheet S sent out from the loader D by the retraction device 9 is processed by the incision device 5, folding device 6, joining device 7, and cutting device 8 arranged in that order to produce the cultivation sheet 1. In the following, the earlier process in the flow of the above-mentioned manufacturing process will be referred to as the upstream process and the later process as the downstream process, and the direction of the flow of the manufacturing process will be referred to as the traveling direction.

[0044] The manufacturing process of the cultivation sheet 1 will be specifically described below with reference to Fig. 5. First, the drawing device 9 includes a pair of upper and lower drawing rollers 91, 92, and the base sheet S is drawn in in one direction by rotating the drawing rollers 91, 92 while the base sheet S is clamped between the clamping portions 91b, 92b of the drawing rollers 91, 92.

[0045] Further, recesses 91a, 92a are formed on the outer periphery of each of the pull-in rollers 91, 92, and these recesses 91a, 92a are arranged to face each other with the base sheet S sandwiched therebetween when the pull-in rollers 91, 92 are driven to rotate, so that while the recesses 91a, 92a are opposed to each other, the pull-in rollers 91, 92 rotate idly and stop pulling in the base sheet S. In other words, the pull-in device 9 of this embodiment is arranged to pull in the base sheet S intermittently.

[0046] The cutting device 5 also includes a cutter 50 that can move toward and away from the base sheet S at predetermined time intervals and cut the base sheet S at or near the center in the short-side direction.

[0047] The cutter 50 moves toward and away from the base sheet S, which is sent out from the loader D by the retraction device 9 and moves downstream, at predetermined time intervals, so that the base sheet S is cut while the cutter 50 is approaching and in contact with the base sheet S, and the base sheet S is not cut while the cutter 50 is moving away from the base sheet S. Thus, the cutting device 5 can make intermittent incisions 1d along the longitudinal direction at or near the center of the base sheet S in the short side direction.

[0048] Incidentally, while the drawing of the base sheet S is stopped, the base sheet S is not cut even if the cutter 50 is in contact with the base sheet S, so the cutter 50 always moves away from and towards the base sheet S at a predetermined time interval regardless of the timing at which the drawing device 9 stops drawing in the base sheet S. However, the cutter 50 may be brought into contact with the base sheet S only when the base sheet S is being drawn in, to cut the base sheet S intermittently.

[0049] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the folding device 6 further includes a pair of vertical rollers 60, 60 that can rotate around a vertical axis, an inclined roller 61 that is arranged on the side of the base sheet S downstream of the vertical rollers 60, 60 and is arranged with its upper end inclined toward the base sheet S when viewed from the upstream side and also inclined toward the downstream side, and a pair of upper and lower first horizontal rollers 62, 62 that are arranged downstream of the inclined roller 61 and extend horizontally.

[0050] Then, the base sheet S that has passed through the cutting device 5 passes between vertical rollers 60, 60 and is folded in half vertically (with the short side direction of the base sheet S aligned along the vertical direction) along the cut 1d, so that a portion of the base sheet S corresponding to the front piece 1a (hereinafter simply referred to as the "front piece 1a") and a portion corresponding to the rear piece 1b (hereinafter simply referred to as the "rear piece 1b") are formed.

[0051] In addition, since the inclined roller 61 is disposed at a position where it contacts the upper end of the base sheet S folded vertically, the upper end of the base sheet S is inclined after passing through the inclined roller 61. Furthermore, when the base sheet S passes through the inclined roller 61 and passes between the first horizontal rollers 62, 62, the base sheet S becomes horizontal (the short side direction of the base sheet S is oriented along the horizontal direction).

[0052] In this way, in the folding device 6 of this embodiment, the diagonal roller 61 is arranged between the vertical rollers 60, 60 and the first horizontal rollers 62, 62, so that the posture of the base sheet S folded in half can be changed from a posture along the vertical direction to a posture along the horizontal direction smoothly along the diagonal roller 61, and the base sheet S can be sent downstream.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the joining device 7 includes a base 70 that supports the base sheet S on its upper surface, and a press machine 71 that is arranged above the base 70, moves toward and away from the base 70, and has a plurality of welding protrusions 71a that can heat the base sheet S.

[0054] The joining device 7 moves the press machine 71 closer to the base 70 at the timing when the retraction device 9 stops retracting the base sheet S. Therefore, when the movement of the base sheet S that has passed through the folding device 6 is stopped, the joining device 7 moves the press machine 71 closer to the base 70 and brings the welding protrusions 71a into contact with the base sheet S, thereby heating the base sheet S and welding the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b of the base sheet S to form a joint 1c along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S.

[0055] In addition, as shown in Figure 5, the cutting device 8 is equipped with a cutting blade 80 that can move up and down relative to the base sheet S, and by moving the cutting blade 80 up and down at a predetermined time interval, the base sheet S is cut to a predetermined length to form the cultivation sheet 1.

[0056] Moreover, the cutting device 8 cuts the base sheet S by moving the cutting blade 80 downward at the timing when the drawing device 9 stops drawing the base sheet S.

[0057] In this way, in the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the joining device 7 joins the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b of the base sheet S and the cutting device 8 cuts the base sheet S at the timing when the retraction device 9 stops retracting the base sheet S, thereby preventing the position of the joint 1c from being misaligned with the cutting position of the base sheet S.

[0058] Furthermore, downstream of the cutting device 8, as shown in Figure 5, a conveyor 14 is installed to transport the cultivation sheet 1 formed by cutting the base sheet S by the cutting device 8 to a storage basket 15, and the completed cultivation sheet 1 is stored in the storage basket 15.

[0059] Also, although not shown, the loader D of the manufacturing equipment for the cultivation sheet 1, the devices 5, 6, 7, 8 for processing the base sheet S into the cultivation sheet 1, and the retraction device 9 are supported by a support frame installed on the ground along the direction of movement of the base sheet S.

[0060] Below, each manufacturing process of the cultivation sheet 1 and specific examples of each device that realizes the manufacturing process will be described in more detail. However, the configuration of each device below is an example, and is not limited to the configuration below as long as each manufacturing process can be realized. In addition, in this description, the direction horizontally perpendicular to the moving direction of the base material sheet S is referred to as the "left-right direction", the left when looking at the base material sheet S from the upstream side is simply referred to as the "left", and the right when looking at the base material sheet S from the upstream side is simply referred to as the "right".

[0061] As shown in Figure 6, the loader D has a pair of support parts Dc, Dc standing up from the left and right ends of the installation table 11, an axis Db suspended between the support parts Dc, Dc, and a reel Da held freely rotatable about the axis Db.A strip-shaped base sheet S is wound around the reel Da, and when the base sheet S is pulled, the reel Da rotates and the base sheet S is unwound.

[0062] In addition, on the downstream side of the loader D on the installation table 11, there are provided a pair of support pieces 11a, 11a that stand up from the left and right ends and face each other, and a first roller R1 that is freely rotatably installed between the support pieces 11a, 11a, and the first roller R1 clamps the base sheet S unwound from the loader D between itself and the installation table 11 and rotates as the base sheet S moves.

[0063] As shown in Figure 6, the cutting device 5 includes a cutter 50 that can cut the base sheet S by contacting the center or near the center of the base sheet S in the short side direction, and a driving means 51 that moves the cutter 50 toward and away from the base sheet S at predetermined time intervals.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 6, the cutting device 5 is provided with a support table 52 that is positioned downstream of the installation table 11 and supports the base sheet S from below, and a pair of holding pieces 53, 53 that face each other and rise diagonally downstream from the left and right sides of the support table 52 at the downstream end.

[0065] Further, a second roller R2 is provided between the pair of holding pieces 53, 53, which rotates with the movement of the base sheet S by sandwiching the base sheet S between the support stand 52. Therefore, the portion of the base sheet S located between the first roller R1 and the second roller R2 is in a state in which both ends in the traveling direction are sandwiched between the first roller R1 and the installation stand 11 and between the second roller R2 and the support stand 52, respectively, and tension is applied thereto.

[0066] The driving means 51 has a cam 54 which is rotated by a motor M installed on the left side of the support table 52, and an arm 55 which holds the cutter 50 and moves up and down relative to the base sheet S as the cam 54 is rotated.

[0067] The arm 55 has a plate-like arm body 55a that is rotatably held by a cylindrical support rod 56 that is spanned between the upper ends of the pair of holding pieces 53, 53 and arranged at a position spaced apart above the base sheet S and that extends toward the upstream side, and a rod portion 55b that protrudes from the left side of the arm body 55a toward the cam 54. Note that, as shown in Fig. 6, the arm body 55a is shaped like a letter V that extends from the support rod 56 toward the upstream side along the traveling direction of the base sheet S and has a tip that is bent toward the base sheet S side, but the shape of the arm body 55a is not particularly limited.

[0068] Further, a through hole (not shown) is formed on the tip side of the arm body 55a, and a rotating shaft 57 extending in the left-right direction is rotatably inserted into the through hole so as to face the center or near the center in the short side direction of the base sheet S. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left end side, which is one end side of the rotating shaft 57, is inserted into the through hole of the arm body 55a, and a stopper (not shown) is attached to the left end of the rotating shaft 57 to prevent the rotating shaft 57 from coming out.

[0069] The cutter 50 is a circular disk-shaped blade having a mounting hole in the center, and is attached to the outer periphery of the right end side, which is the other end side of the arm body 55a of the rotating shaft 57, at a position facing the center or near the center in the short direction of the base sheet S. A pair of weights 58, 58 are attached to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 57 so as to sandwich the cutter 50 from both the left and right sides, and an annular spacer ring 59 is attached between the weight 58 on the left side (the arm body 55a side) and the arm body 55a to position the cutter 50. The cutter 50 and weight 58 are fixed to the rotating shaft 57, and the spacer ring 59 is fixed only to the arm body 55a and not to the rotating shaft 57.

[0070] In addition, since the outer diameter of the cutter 50 is set to be larger than the outer diameters of the weight 58 and the spacer ring 59, only the cutter 50 contacts the base sheet S, and the outer periphery of the weight 58 and the spacer ring 59 does not contact the base sheet S.

[0071] The cutter 50 is not limited to a round blade, but may be a flat blade. The weight 58 in this embodiment is made of iron, but the material is not particularly limited, and the shape is not limited to a cylindrical shape. If the cutter 50 can be disposed at a position facing the center or near the center in the short-side direction of the base sheet S without providing the spacer ring 59, the spacer ring 59 may be omitted.

[0072] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the cam 54 has a circular plate 54a whose center is connected to the output shaft of a motor M arranged perpendicular to the traveling direction of the base sheet S, and a plurality of cam protrusions 54b protruding from the outer periphery of the circular plate 54a in the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals.

[0073] 7. The tip of rod portion 55b protruding from the left side of arm body 55a is located at a position where it can ride up onto cam projection 54b when cam 54 rotates on the right side of cam 54 in FIG.

[0074] In the driving means 51 thus configured, before the rod portion 55b rides on the cam protrusion 54b, as shown in Figure 7(A), the rod portion 55b is in the initial position, so that the outer periphery of the cutter 50 provided on the tip side of the arm body 55a abuts against the base sheet S.

[0075] From this state, the motor M rotates the cam 54 counterclockwise in Fig. 7, and as the rod portion 55b rides on the cam projection 54b as shown in Fig. 7(B), the rod portion 55b is lifted and moves upward. Then, the arm body 55a rotates upward along the support rod 56, so that the cutter 50 provided on the tip side of the arm body 55a also moves upward and separates from the base sheet S.

[0076] Then, from this state, the cam 54 continues to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 7 and the rod portion 55b overcomes the cam protrusion 54b, and the cam protrusion 54b moves downward due to its own weight and returns to its initial position, as shown in Figure 7(C), so that the arm body 55a rotates downward along the support rod 56 and the cutter 50 provided on the tip side of the arm body 55a also moves downward and abuts against the base sheet S again.

[0077] Therefore, the driving means 51 of this embodiment can move the cutter 50 toward and away from the base sheet S at predetermined time intervals. Also, in this embodiment, four cam protrusions 54b are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, so that the arm 55 and the cutter 50 move up and down every time the cam 54 makes a quarter rotation.

[0078] In this embodiment, the tip of rod portion 55b is disposed on the right side of cam 54 in Fig. 7 to rotate cam 54 counterclockwise, but it may be disposed on the left side of cam 54 in Fig. 7 to rotate cam 54 clockwise. Also, rod portion 55b may be disposed at a position that is equal to or greater than the center line that passes horizontally through the center of round plate 54a and that can ride up onto cam protrusion 54b when cam 54 rotates.

[0079] Therefore, in the cutting device 5 configured in this manner, the cutter 50 approaches and approaches the base sheet S being drawn and moved downstream by the drawing device 9 at predetermined time intervals by the driving means 51, so that while the cutter 50 is approaching and in contact with the base sheet S, the base sheet S is cut, and while the cutter 50 is moving away from the base sheet S, the base sheet S is not cut. Therefore, incisions 1d are made intermittently along the longitudinal direction at or near the center in the short side direction of the base sheet S.

[0080] In addition, the center or near the center of the short side of the base sheet S referred to here corresponds to the center or near the center in the vertical direction of the sheet 10 in the unfolded cultivation sheet 1 shown in Figure 4, and by changing the position of the cutter 50, the position of the incision 1d can be changed to adjust the protrusion (length) of the rear piece 1b protruding relative to the front piece 1a in the completed cultivation sheet 1.

[0081] As described above, tension is applied to the base sheet S facing the cutter 50 by the first roller R1 and the second roller R2, so the cutter 50 comes into contact with the base sheet S in a tensioned state. This makes it easier to cut the base sheet S, and prevents the position of the incision 1d from shifting. Note that the means for applying tension to the base sheet S may be something other than rollers.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the weight 58 is connected to the rotating shaft 57, the cutter 50 is pressed against the base sheet S by the weight 58, and a load required for cutting the base sheet S can be applied, thereby suppressing the occurrence of cutting defects. However, if cutting defects of the base sheet S do not occur even without the weight 58, the weight 58 may be omitted.

[0083] In addition, although not shown, a recess is formed in the portion of the support base 52 that receives the cutter 50 below the base sheet S, and a plastic receiving plate is fitted into the recess to prevent excessive wear on the cutter 50.

[0084] In addition, since the part of the backing plate that receives the cutter 50 is always the same, the backing plate is easily worn. If the backing plate is significantly worn, a gap will be created between the backing plate and the base sheet S, making it impossible to cut the base sheet S cleanly. In contrast, since the backing plate is detachable, by periodically replacing the backing plate, the base sheet S can always be cut cleanly.

[0085] The material of the receiving plate is not limited to plastic, and may be glass, for example. However, the receiving plate may be omitted, and the cutter 50 may be directly received by the support base 52.

[0086] In addition, the interval at which the cutter 50 is moved toward or away from the base sheet S by the driving means 51 can be appropriately determined according to the interval between the incisions 1d to be formed in the completed cultivation sheet 1, and can be appropriately adjusted by changing the rotation speed of the motor M and the installation interval of the cam protrusions 54b of the cam 54.

[0087] In this embodiment, the driving means 51 moves the cutter 50 towards and away from the base sheet S by forming a cam mechanism using cam 54 and rod portion 55b to convert the rotational motion of the motor M into up and down motion of the arm 55. However, the mechanism of the driving means 51 is not particularly limited as long as the cutter 50 can be moved towards and away from the base sheet S at predetermined time intervals.

[0088] 6, third and fourth rollers R3 and R4 are rotatably attached between the pair of holding pieces 53 and 53, arranged side by side downstream of the second roller R2 along the moving direction of the base sheet S. The base sheet S enters between the third roller R3 and the fourth roller R4 from above, and the third roller R3 and the fourth roller R4 rotate as the base sheet S moves.

[0089] Furthermore, an annular protrusion R4a is provided at a position on the outer periphery of the fourth roller R4 facing the incision 1d made in the base sheet S. Therefore, when the base sheet S passes between the third roller R3 and the fourth roller R4, the incision 1d in the base sheet S is widened by the protrusion R4a. Therefore, when using the cultivation sheet 1, it is not necessary to manually widen the incision 1d. However, if an operator manually widens the incision 1d when using the cultivation sheet 1, the third and fourth rollers R3 and R4 may be omitted.

[0090] Moreover, the manufacturing device for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment is provided with a rotation driving means 13 that rotates the cutter 50 by a predetermined angle when the cutter 50 is separated from the base sheet S by the driving means 51.

[0091] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the rotational drive means 13 includes a friction member 13a that is disposed above the rotation shaft 57 and abuts against the weight 58, and a holding arm 13b whose base end is fixed to the right side, which is the side opposite to the motor, of the support base 52 and whose tip holds the friction member 13a, and the friction member 13a is made of a flat sponge.

[0092] In the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 equipped with such a rotational driving means 13, when the cutter 50 is moved away from the base sheet S by the driving means 51, the rotating shaft 57 moves upward while abutting against the friction member 13a via the weight 58, and the friction generated when the weight 58 abuts against the friction member 13a causes the rotating shaft 57 to rotate by a predetermined angle.

[0093] Then, the cutter 50 rotates by a predetermined angle together with the rotating shaft 57, which prevents only a portion of the cutter 50 from coming into contact with the base sheet S and becoming worn out early. Therefore, the cutter 50 can cut the base sheet S for a long period of time without needing to be replaced.

[0094] Here, the rotating shaft 57 moves up and down around the support rod 56 via the arm 55, and moves away from and toward the friction member 13a. However, since the friction member 13a is made of sponge, the friction member 13a is crushed and deformed when the weight 58 comes into contact with the friction member 13a. Therefore, the friction member 13a does not hinder the up and down movement of the rotating shaft 57.

[0095] If the angle by which the cutter 50 is rotated at one time by the rotary drive means 13 is other than 360 degrees, it is possible to prevent only a portion of the cutter 50 from wearing out early, but in this embodiment, the cutter 50 is set to rotate only a small angle at one time. This causes the entire circumference of the cutter 50 to wear more evenly, so that the frequency of replacement of the cutter 50 can be reduced.

[0096] In addition, since the ease with which cutter 50 is rotated by rotation drive means 13 varies depending on the weight of the rotating part consisting of rotating shaft 57, cutter 50, and weight 58, the angle at which cutter 50 is rotated by rotation drive means 13 can be adjusted by changing the weight of weight 58.

[0097] In the present embodiment, the friction member 13a is formed of a sponge, but the material of the friction member 13a is not particularly limited as long as friction sufficient to rotate the rotary shaft 57 is generated between the friction member 13a and the weight 58. For example, if the friction member 13a is formed of an elastically deformable material such as sponge or rubber, the friction member 13a will deform when the weight 58 abuts against the friction member 13a, and will not impede the up and down movement of the rotary shaft 57. In addition, it is preferable to form the friction member 13a from sponge or rubber because the weight 58 is not damaged or a loud noise is not generated when the weight 58 abuts against the friction member 13a.

[0098] In this embodiment, the friction member 13a contacts the rotating shaft 57 via the weight 58, but when the weight 58 is omitted, the friction member 13a may directly contact the rotating shaft 57. The above-mentioned configuration of the rotation drive means 13 is an example, and the configuration is not particularly limited as long as the cutter 50 can be rotated by a predetermined angle when the cutter 50 separates from the base sheet S. However, the rotation drive means 13 may be omitted.

[0099] Next, the folding device 6 that performs the folding process will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 8, the folding device 6 includes a pair of vertical rollers 60, 60 that are rotatable about a vertical axis and adjacent to each other in the left-right direction, an oblique roller 61 that is disposed downstream of the vertical rollers 60, 60 and disposed in a position in which the upper end of the base sheet S is inclined to the left side of the base sheet S as viewed from the upstream side and is inclined to the downstream side, and a pair of upper and lower first horizontal rollers 62, 62 that are disposed downstream of the oblique roller 61 and extend along the left-right direction.

[0100] Then, when the base sheet S, which has passed through the third roller R3 and the fourth roller R4, passes between the vertical rollers 60, 60, the base sheet S is folded in half vertically (the short side direction of the base sheet S is oriented along the vertical direction) along the intermittently made cuts 1d to form the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b. Then, the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b automatically face each other in an aligned state.

[0101] In addition, since the inclined roller 61 is disposed at a position where it contacts the upper end of the base sheet S folded vertically, when the base sheet S having passed the vertical rollers 60, 60 passes through the inclined roller 61, the upper end of the base sheet S is tilted to the left when viewed from the upstream side. Furthermore, since the base sheet S having passed through the inclined roller 61 passes between the first horizontal rollers 62, 62, the base sheet S becomes oriented horizontally (the short side direction of the base sheet S is oriented along the horizontal direction).

[0102] In this way, since the inclined roller 61 is arranged between the vertical rollers 60, 60 and the first horizontal rollers 62, 62, the base sheet S can be smoothly changed in orientation from vertical to horizontal and sent out to the joining device 7 described later.

[0103] The vertical rollers 60 and the oblique rollers 61 are connected to a support frame (not shown), and the first horizontal roller 62 is attached to a base 70 of the joining device 7 (described later).

[0104] Further, the configuration of the folding device 6 described above is merely an example, and the configuration of the folding device 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can fold the base sheet S in half along the intermittently made cuts 1d.

[0105] Next, the joining device 7 that performs the joining process will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 9, the joining device 7 includes a base 70 that supports the base sheet S on its upper surface, a press machine 71 that is arranged above the base 70 and moves toward and away from the upper surface of the base 70 along a pair of rails 74, 74 extending in the vertical direction, and has a plurality of welding protrusions 71a that are arranged at intervals along the traveling direction of the base sheet S at its lower end and can heat the base sheet S, and a plate 72 that is provided between the press machine 71 and the base 70 so as to be able to move toward and away from the upper surface of the base 70, and has a plurality of insertion holes 72a formed at positions facing each welding protrusion 71a of the press machine 71, through which the welding protrusions 71a can be inserted.

[0106] Hereinafter, each part of the joining device 7 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 9, the base 70 includes a rectangular box-shaped base main body 70a and a rectangular sheet support part 70b that protrudes from a part of the base main body 70a facing the plate 72 and supports the base sheet S.

[0107] Furthermore, a pair of first mounting pieces 70c, 70c protruding from the left and right sides are provided at the upstream end of the base body 70a, and a pair of upper and lower first horizontal rollers 62, 62 are attached between the first mounting pieces 70c, 70c so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction. Similarly, a pair of left and right second mounting pieces 70d, 70d are provided at the downstream end of the base body 70a, and a pair of upper and lower second horizontal rollers 73, 73 are attached between the second mounting pieces 70d, 70d so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction.

[0108] Therefore, both ends in the traveling direction of the portion of the base sheet S placed on the base 70 are respectively clamped by a pair of first horizontal rollers 62, 62 and a pair of second horizontal rollers 73, 73, so that tension is applied to the portion of the base sheet S facing the base 70.

[0109] In addition, the base body 70a is provided with four guide rods (not shown) which protrude upward from positions that sandwich the upstream end and downstream end of the sheet support portion 70b in the left-right direction, and have coil springs 70e arranged on their outer periphery.

[0110] 9, the plate 72 is a rectangular plate extending in the traveling direction of the base sheet S, and has ears 72b at each of the four corners that protrude in the left-right direction, face each guide rod, and have holes (not shown). Guide rods (not shown) are inserted into the holes of the ears 72b, and stopper rings 70f are provided at the upper ends of the guide rods to prevent the plate 72 from slipping out. With a coil spring 70e interposed between the plate 72 and the base main body 70a, the plate 72 can move toward and away from the sheet support part 70b of the base 70.

[0111] Furthermore, since the plate 72 is elastically supported by the coil spring 70e, even if a force pressing the plate 72 toward the base 70 acts and the plate 72 approaches the base 70, when the force pressing the plate 72 toward the base 70 is removed, the plate 72 returns to its original position due to the elastic force of the coil spring 70e. Note that the biasing means for elastically supporting the plate 72 is not limited to the coil spring 70e, and for example, a disc spring, rubber, a gas cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder may be used.

[0112] In the joining device 7 configured in this manner, when the press machine 71 is brought closer to the base 70, the press machine 71 presses the plate 72 toward the base 70 against the biasing force of the coil spring 70e with the welding protrusion 71a provided at the lower end of the press machine 71 inserted into the insertion hole 72a of the plate 72.

[0113] Then, when the press machine 71 approaches the base 70, the base sheet S is pressed down onto the base 70 by the plate 72, and the heated welding protrusions 71a come into contact with the base sheet S through each insertion hole 72a of the plate 72, so that the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b are intermittently welded and joined along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S, forming multiple joints 1c arranged intermittently along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S.

[0114] At this time, the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b of the base sheet S are connected at a portion where there is no cut 1d, so the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b do not shift from each other. Therefore, the step of aligning the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b before joining them can be omitted.

[0115] Furthermore, as mentioned above, tension is applied to the base sheet S placed on the base 70 by the first horizontal roller 62 and the second horizontal roller 73, so that the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b are not joined in a loose state.

[0116] In addition, since the plate 72 is interposed between the press machine 71 and the base sheet S, a gap of the thickness of the plate 72 is formed between the lower end of the press machine 71 and the base sheet S. And, since the welding protrusions 71a contact the base sheet S through the insertion holes 72a of the plate 72, it is possible to prevent the welding protrusions 71a from being subjected to excessive force by the press machine 71.

[0117] In this embodiment, the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b are joined by welding, but they may be joined by a method other than welding, for example, by pressure bonding.

[0118] Furthermore, the configuration of the joining device 7 in this embodiment is just one example, and is not particularly limited as long as it can join the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b intermittently along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S.

[0119] Next, the drawing device 9 that draws the base sheet S in one direction toward the downstream side will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the drawing device 9 has a driving machine 90 and a pair of upper and lower drawing rollers 91, 92 that are rotationally driven by the driving machine 90 and that hold the base sheet S between the upper and lower parts to draw the base sheet S in one direction toward the downstream side.

[0120] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the drawing device 9 of this embodiment includes a pair of support plates 93, 93 facing each other in the left-right direction, and a pair of upper and lower drive shafts 94, 95 that penetrate each support plate 93 and are rotatably suspended between the pair of support plates 93, 93 around their axes, and the output shaft of the drive machine 90 is connected to the right end, which is one end of the lower drive shaft 95, and is fixed to one of the support plates 93, and three pairs of upper and lower drawing rollers 91, 92 are attached to the outer periphery of the drive shafts 94, 95 with a gap in the axial direction. Note that in Fig. 9, the support plate 93 is omitted so that the drawing rollers 91, 92 can be easily seen.

[0121] Although not shown, gears that mesh with each other are fixed to the left end, which is the other end of the lower drive shaft 95, and to the left end, which is the end of the upper drive shaft 94 that faces it vertically. Therefore, when the lower drive shaft 95 is driven by the drive machine 90 to rotate clockwise as viewed from the drive machine 90 side, the gear provided at the other end of the lower drive shaft 95 also rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the gear fixed to the end of the upper drive shaft 94, so that the upper drive shaft 94 rotates at the same speed as the lower drive shaft 95 in the opposite direction.

[0122] As a result, the lower pull-in roller 92 attached to the lower drive shaft 95 rotates clockwise as viewed from the drive machine 90 side, and the upper pull-in roller 91 attached to the upper drive shaft 94 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the drive machine 90 side, synchronously with the lower pull-in roller 92 and at the same speed as the lower pull-in roller 92.

[0123] 11, the pull-in rollers 91, 92 are disk-shaped and have recesses 91a, 92a of equal circumferential length in a predetermined range on the outer periphery that do not contact the base sheet S. In addition, the pull-in rollers 91, 92 are arranged such that the circumferential centers of the recesses 91a, 92a face each other on a center line L connecting the centers of the pull-in rollers 91, 92.

[0124] Therefore, in this embodiment, the pull-in rollers 91, 92 face each other at the clamping portions 91b, 92b, which are the parts other than the recesses 91a, 92a on the outer periphery of the pull-in rollers 91, 92, as shown in Figure 11(A), or face each other at the recesses 91a, 92a, as shown in Figure 11(B).

[0125] In such a drawing device 9, when the driving machine 90 is driven, the upper drawing roller 91 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the driving machine 90 side, and the lower drawing roller 92 rotates clockwise as viewed from the driving machine 90 side at the same speed, so that while the clamping parts 91b, 92b of the drawing rollers 91, 92 face each other (the state shown in FIG. 11(A)), the base material sheet S is clamped by the clamping parts 91b, 92b and drawn downstream by the drawing rollers 91, 92 and sent out. On the other hand, while the recesses 91a, 92a of the drawing rollers 91, 92 face each other (the state shown in FIG. 11(B)), the base material sheet S is not clamped by the drawing rollers 91, 92, so the drawing rollers 91, 92 rotate idly and the drawing of the base material sheet S stops. That is, in the drawing device 9 of this embodiment, the base material sheet S can be intermittently drawn in.

[0126] In this embodiment, the upper pull-in roller 91 and the lower pull-in roller 92 are provided with the recesses 91a and 92a, respectively, but a recess may be provided on only one of the upper pull-in roller 91 and the lower pull-in roller 92. Even in this case, the base sheet S is not clamped by the pull-in rollers 91 and 92 while the recess faces the base sheet S, so that the pull-in of the base sheet S is stopped.

[0127] The above-mentioned configuration of the drawing device 9 is merely an example, and the configuration is not limited to the above-mentioned one as long as the base sheet S can be drawn downstream.

[0128] As shown in Fig. 9, a clamping means 16 for clamping the base sheet S is provided between the joining device 7 and the pull-in rollers 91, 92. While the pull-in device 9 stops pulling in the base sheet S, the base sheet S between the pull-in rollers 91, 92 is not under tension and may move left and right, but since the base sheet S is clamped by the clamping means 16, the base sheet S can be prevented from moving even while the pull-in device 9 stops pulling in the base sheet S. The force with which the clamping means 16 clamps the base sheet S is set to a level that does not impede the force with which the pull-in device 9 pulls in the base sheet S.

[0129] The clamping means 16 also includes a clamping plate 16a supporting the base sheet S, a pair of fixed pieces 16b, 16b protruding upward from each of the second mounting pieces 70d, 70d, a fixed rod 16c spanning between the fixed pieces 16b, 16b, and two sets of clamping pieces 16d, 16d whose base ends are connected to the fixed rod 16c and whose tips abut the base sheet S on the clamping plate 16a to clamp the base sheet S together with the clamping plate 16a.

[0130] However, the above-mentioned configuration of the clamping means 16 is only one example, and the configuration of the clamping means 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can prevent the movement of the base material sheet S while the drawing of the base material sheet S is stopped. Also, if the base material sheet S does not move while the drawing of the base material sheet S is stopped, the clamping means 16 may be omitted.

[0131] Next, the cutting device 8 that performs the cutting process will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 10, the cutting device 8 includes a blade-shaped cutting blade 80 that can move up and down relative to the base sheet S, and a vertical movement device 81 that moves the cutting blade 80 up and down at regular intervals to cut the base sheet S to a predetermined length.

[0132] Specifically, the cutting device 8 includes a mounting table 83 that is supported on the downstream side of the pull-in rollers 91, 92 and on which the base sheet S fed by the pull-in rollers 91, 92 is placed. The surface of the mounting table 83 is formed of a material with a small coefficient of friction, and the base sheet S fed by the pull-in rollers 91, 92 slides on the mounting table 83 and moves downstream.

[0133] A guide plate 84 is provided at the downstream end of the mounting table 83 so as to be slightly spaced from the mounting table 83 and to guide the vertical movement of the cutting blade 80 .

[0134] The guide plate 84 is formed in an L-shape, having a rectangular bottom piece 84a extending in the left-right direction and a rectangular vertical piece 84b standing vertically from the downstream end of the bottom piece 84a along the downstream end face of the mounting table 83.

[0135] Although not described in detail, the cutting blade 80 has a rectangular holder and a rectangular plate-shaped blade held on the surface of the holder facing the upstream side, and the blade is held so that its lower end protrudes from the lower end of the holder. The left end, which is the tip of the cutting blade 80, is hinged to the mounting table 83 via a connecting member 83a provided on the upper left end surface at the downstream end of the mounting table 83. Therefore, the cutting blade 80 can move up and down with the hinge connection point of the connecting member 83a as a fulcrum.

[0136] The vertical movement device 81 comprises a slider 85 attached to the right end, which is the base end of the cutting blade 80, an expandable cylinder device 86 that supports the slider 85 from below, a spring 87 that is arranged on the outer periphery of the cylinder device 86 and urges the slider 85 upward, a rail support 88 that extends in the vertical direction at a position adjacent to the upstream side of the slider 85 and guides the vertical movement of the slider 85, and a pressing means 89 that presses the slider 85 downward to move it.

[0137] The slider 85 has a mounting portion 85a attached to the base end of the cutting blade 80, a slide portion 85b provided at the downstream end of the mounting portion 85a and attached so as to be movable up and down relative to the rail support 88, and a protruding piece 85c provided at the upstream end of the mounting portion 85a and protruding toward the upstream side.

[0138] In addition, the pressing means 89 includes a shaft 89a that penetrates each support plate 93 and is suspended between support plates 93, 93 downstream of the drive shafts 94, 95 so as to be freely rotatable about the axis, and a pressing piece 89b that is fixed to the right end of the shaft 89a and extends radially, and the tip of the pressing piece 89b is capable of abutting against the protruding piece 85c of the slider 85 when rotated together with the shaft 89a.

[0139] In addition, although not shown, a gear is connected to the left end of shaft 89a, which rotates clockwise when viewed from the drive machine 90 side in conjunction with the rotation of a gear provided at the left end of the drive shaft 95 on the lower side of the retraction device 9.

[0140] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the shaft 89a and the pressing piece 89b fixed to the right end of the shaft 89a rotate clockwise as viewed from the drive machine 90 side at the same speed as the drive shafts 94, 95 of the retraction device 9, and their tips come into contact with the protruding piece 85c from above, thereby pressing the protruding piece 85c.

[0141] In this embodiment, gears are attached to the left ends of the drive shafts 94, 95 of the retraction device 9 and the left end of the shaft 89a of the pressing means 89 to synchronize the rotational speeds, but the means for synchronizing the rotational speeds is not limited to gears and may be, for example, a belt.

[0142] In addition, when the protruding piece 85c is pressed from above by the pressing piece 89b, the slider 85 moves downward along the rail support 88 against the biasing force of the spring 87, so that the right end of the cutting blade 80 held by the slider 85 lowers and the cutting blade 80 moves downward along the guide plate 84 and the downstream end face of the mounting table 83, and the portion of the base sheet S protruding downstream from the downstream end on the mounting table 83 is cut, and the cultivation sheet 1 is completed.

[0143] In addition, the pressing piece 89b continues to rotate after pressing the protruding piece 85c, and when it rotates a predetermined angle, it separates from the protruding piece 85c. Then, the slider 85 returns to its original position due to the biasing force of the spring 87, and the cutting blade 80 also moves upward and returns to its original position, so that the cutting device 8 repeats the same operation at regular intervals.

[0144] At this time, since the rotation speed of the shaft 89a of the pressing means 89 is synchronized with the rotation speed of the drive shafts 94, 95 of the drawing device 9, the base sheet S is always cut to the same length in the longitudinal direction.

[0145] Here, the timing at which the retraction device 9 stops retracting the base sheet S is set to coincide with the timing at which the joining device 7 joins the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b of the base sheet S and the timing at which the cutting device 8 cuts the base sheet S.

[0146] Therefore, the joining of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and the cutting of the base sheet S are performed while the pulling of the base sheet S is stopped, so that the position of the joint 1c and the cutting position of the base sheet S can be prevented from shifting.

[0147] 11, the range in which the recesses 91a, 92a are provided on the outer periphery of the pull-in rollers 91, 92 is about half the length of the circumference, but the range in which the recesses 91a, 92a are provided may be appropriately determined depending on the time required for the joining device 7 to join the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and for the cutting device 8 to cut the base sheet S. Also, the means for stopping the pulling of the base sheet S at the timing when the joining and cutting of the base sheet S are performed is not particularly limited, and for example, the pull-in device 9 may be stopped by electronic control at the timing when the joining and cutting of the base sheet S are performed.

[0148] Further, the above-mentioned configuration of the cutting device 8 is merely an example, and the configuration of the cutting device 8 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of cutting the base sheet S to a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction.

[0149] As shown in Fig. 10, a conveyor 14 is installed below the downstream end of the mounting table 83 to transport the cultivation sheet 1 formed by cutting the base material sheet S to the storage basket 15. Therefore, the cultivation sheet 1 formed by cutting the base material sheet S is automatically collected in the storage basket 15 without remaining at the cutting position. However, the storage basket 15 may be installed below the downstream end of the mounting table 83, and the cultivation sheet 1 may be collected directly in the storage basket 15.

[0150] As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the strip-shaped base sheet S stored in the loader D and pulled downstream by the retraction device 9 has intermittent incisions 1d made in the center or near the center in the short direction by the cutting device 5, is folded along the incisions 1d by the folding device 6 to form the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b, the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b are joined by the joining device 7 to form the joint 1c, and is cut to a predetermined longitudinal length by the cutting device 8, thereby continuously producing the cultivation sheet 1.

[0151] However, the manufacturing method of the cultivation sheet 1 is not limited to the method using the above-mentioned manufacturing apparatus. In addition, in the present embodiment, the cultivation sheet 1 is continuously manufactured, but the cultivation sheet 1 may be manufactured one by one. Even in this case, the manufacturing of the cultivation sheet 1 is facilitated because the process of aligning the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b before joining the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b can be omitted.

[0152] As described above, the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment comprises a single absorbent sheet 10 that is square or rectangular and has notches 1d intermittently made between opposing sides, which is folded in half along the notches to form front and rear pieces 1a and 1b that face each other, and a storage section B that is formed between the front and rear pieces 1a and 1b above a joint 1c that is formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces 1a and 1b along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-to-back direction and is capable of holding seeds.

[0153] In the cultivation sheet 1 configured in this manner, when the sheet 10 is folded in half along the intermittently made cuts 1d, the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b can be automatically aligned and opposed to each other during the production of the cultivation sheet 1, so that the process of aligning the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b before joining the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b to form the joint 1c can be omitted during the production of the cultivation sheet 1. Therefore, the cultivation sheet 1 can be produced more easily than in the conventional case where two separate sheets are overlapped, aligned, and then joined. This improves the productivity of the cultivation sheet 1.

[0154] In addition, the manufacturing method of the cultivation sheet 1 in this embodiment includes a step of making intermittent incisions 1d along the longitudinal direction at or near the center of the short side of the strip-shaped base sheet S, a step of folding the base sheet S in half along the incisions 1d to form a front piece 1a and a rear piece 1b, a step of intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S to form a joint 1c, and a step of cutting the base sheet S to a predetermined longitudinal length.

[0155] In this manufacturing method, when the base sheet S is folded in half along the intermittently made cuts 1d, the front piece 1a is automatically aligned with the rear piece 1b, so that the process of aligning the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b before joining them can be omitted. Therefore, the cultivation sheet 1 can be manufactured more easily than in the conventional case where two separate sheets are overlapped, aligned, and then joined.

[0156] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a retraction device 9 that retracts the strip-shaped base sheet S in one direction (movement direction), a cutter 50 that is arranged upstream of the retraction device 9 and is capable of moving toward or away from the base sheet S and cutting the center or near the center of the base sheet S in the short direction, and a driving means 51 that moves the cutter 50 toward or away from the base sheet S at predetermined time intervals.

[0157] In a manufacturing apparatus configured in this manner, the base sheet S is cut while the cutter 50 is approaching and in contact with the base sheet S, and the base sheet S is not cut while the cutter 50 is moving away from the base sheet S, so that incisions 1d can be intermittently made in the center or near the center of the short side of the base sheet S.

[0158] In addition, in the manufacturing device for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the driving means 51 has a rotationally driven cam 54 and an arm 55 that holds the cutter 50 and moves up and down relative to the base sheet S by the rotational drive of the cam 54.

[0159] According to the manufacturing device configured in this manner, the rotational motion of the cam 54 is converted into the up-and-down motion of the arm 55 holding the cutter 50, so that the cutter 50 can be moved toward and away from the base sheet S at a predetermined time interval. Also, by adjusting the rotational speed of the cam 54 and the number and interval of the cam protrusions 54b provided on the cam 54, the interval and length of the incisions 1d can be easily adjusted. However, the mechanism for moving the cutter 50 toward and away from the base sheet S is not limited to a cam mechanism.

[0160] In addition, in the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the cutter 50 is a circular blade having a disk shape and capable of cutting the base sheet S at its outer periphery, and is equipped with a rotating shaft 57 that holds the cutter 50 rotatably, and a rotary driving means 13 that rotates the cutter 50 by a predetermined angle when the cutter 50 moves away from the base sheet S by the driving means 51.

[0161] According to the manufacturing device configured in this manner, the cutter 50 rotates by a predetermined angle every time the cutter 50 separates from the base sheet S, so that only a portion of the cutter 50 does not wear out early. Therefore, the base sheet S can be cut for a long period of time without replacing the cutter 50. However, if it is acceptable to replace the cutter 50 more frequently, the rotation drive means 13 may be omitted.

[0162] In addition, the manufacturing device for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment is provided with a weight 58 connected to the rotating shaft 57. In the manufacturing device configured in this manner, the cutter 50 is pressed against the base sheet S by the weight 58, and the load required for cutting the base sheet S can be applied, so that the occurrence of cutting defects can be suppressed. However, if cutting defects of the base sheet S do not occur even without providing the weight 58, the weight 58 may be omitted.

[0163] In addition, in the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the rotational driving means 13 has a friction member 13a arranged above the rotational shaft 57, and when the cutter 50 is moved away from the base sheet S by the driving means 51, the rotational shaft 57 abuts against the friction member 13a to rotate the cutter 50 by a predetermined angle.

[0164] In the manufacturing apparatus configured in this manner, the cutter 50 can be rotated by a predetermined angle by utilizing the movement of the rotation shaft 57 holding the cutter 50 away from the base sheet S by the drive means 51, so there is no need to prepare a separate power source for the rotation drive means 13, thereby reducing costs. However, the configuration of the rotation drive means 13 is not particularly limited as long as the cutter 50 can be rotated by a predetermined angle when the drive means 51 moves the cutter 50 away from the base sheet S.

[0165] In addition, the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 in this embodiment includes a cutting device 5 having a cutter 50 and a driving means 51 and intermittently making an incision 1d in the center or near the center of the short side of the base sheet S, a folding device 6 that folds the base sheet S in half along the incision 1d to form a front piece 1a and a rear piece 1b, a joining device 7 that intermittently joins the opposing portions of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet S, and a cutting device 8 that cuts the base sheet S to a predetermined longitudinal length, and the retraction device 9 is capable of intermittently retracting the base sheet S, and stops retracting the base sheet S at the timing when the joining device 7 joins the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and the timing when the cutting device 8 cuts the base sheet S.

[0166] In a manufacturing device configured in this manner, the joining of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and the cutting of the base sheet S are performed while the pulling-in of the base sheet S is stopped, thereby preventing the position of the joint 1c from shifting from the cutting position of the base sheet S.

[0167] However, the retraction device 9 may continuously retract the base sheet S, as long as the joining of the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and the cutting of the base sheet S can be performed without misalignment of the position of the joint 1c and the cutting position of the base sheet S, even when the retraction of the base sheet S is not stopped.

[0168] In addition, in the manufacturing apparatus for the cultivation sheet 1 of this embodiment, the pull-in device 9 has a driver 90 and a pair of pull-in rollers 91, 92 that are rotationally driven by the driver 90 and clamp the base material sheet S to pull the base material sheet S in one direction (movement direction), and recesses 91a, 92a that do not abut against the base material sheet S are provided in a predetermined range in the circumferential direction on the outer periphery of each of the pull-in rollers 91, 92.

[0169] In the manufacturing apparatus configured in this manner, while the clamping portions 91b, 92b other than the recesses 91a, 92a are facing the base sheet S, the base sheet S is clamped by the clamping portions 91b, 92b and drawn downstream by the draw-in rollers 91, 92 and sent out, and while the recesses 91a, 92a are facing the base sheet S, the base sheet S is not clamped by the draw-in rollers 91, 92, so the draw-in rollers 91, 92 rotate freely and stop drawing in the base sheet S. Thus, the draw-in device 9 can draw in the base sheet S intermittently.

[0170] In this embodiment, the recesses 91a and 92a are provided on both the pull-in rollers 91 and 92, respectively, but a recess may be provided on only one of the pull-in rollers 91 and 92. Even in this case, the base sheet S is not clamped by the pull-in rollers 91 and 92 while the recess faces the base sheet S, so that the pull-in of the base sheet S is stopped.

[0171] The range in which the recesses 91a, 92a are provided on the outer periphery of the pull-in rollers 91, 92 may be appropriately determined depending on the time required for the joining device 7 to join the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b and for the cutting device 8 to cut the base sheet S. Furthermore, the means for stopping the pulling of the base sheet S at the timing when the joining and cutting of the base sheet S are performed is not particularly limited, and for example, the pull-in device 9 may be stopped by electronic control at the timing when the joining and cutting of the base sheet S are performed.

[0172] In addition, although the retraction device 9 in this embodiment retracts the base sheet S intermittently, the retraction device 9 may also retract the base sheet S continuously as long as the joining device 7 and the cutting device 8 are able to join the front piece 1a and the rear piece 1b of the base sheet S and cut the base sheet S even when the base sheet S is moving.

[0173] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, it will be appreciated that modifications, variations and changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0174] 1 cultivation sheet, 1a front piece, 1b rear piece, 1c joint, 1d cut, 5 cut device, 6 folding device, 7 joint device, 8 cutting device, 9 pull-in device, 10 sheet, 13 rotation drive means, 13a friction member, 50 cutter, 51 drive means, 54 cam, 55 arm, 57 rotation shaft, 58 weight, 90 drive machine, 91, 92 pull-in rollers, 91a, 92a recess, B storage section, S base sheet

Claims

1. A water-absorbent sheet having a square or rectangular shape and intermittent slits between opposing sides is folded in half along the slits to form a front piece and a rear piece that face each other; a storage section capable of holding seeds, the storage section being formed between the front piece and the rear piece above a joint section formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front piece and the rear piece along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-rear direction; A cultivation sheet characterized by the above.

2. A method for manufacturing a cultivation sheet comprising: a water-absorbent sheet having a square or rectangular shape and intermittent cuts between opposing sides, the sheet being folded in half along the cuts to form opposing front and rear pieces; and a storage section capable of holding seeds, formed between the front and rear pieces above a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces along the left-right width direction as viewed from the front-to-rear direction. A step of intermittently making cuts in the longitudinal direction at or near the center of the strip-shaped base sheet in the short-side direction; Folding the base sheet in half along the cut to form the front piece and the rear piece; a step of intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front piece and the rear piece along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet to form the joint; and cutting the base sheet to a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction. A method for producing a cultivation sheet comprising the steps of:

3. A cultivation sheet manufacturing device comprising: a water-absorbent sheet having a square or rectangular shape and intermittent cuts between opposing sides, the sheet being folded in half along the cuts to form opposing front and rear pieces; and a storage section formed between the front and rear pieces above a joint formed by intermittently joining the opposing portions of the front and rear pieces along the left-right width direction when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, the storage section being capable of holding seeds, A drawing device that draws in the strip-shaped base material sheet in one direction; a cutter that is disposed upstream of the pull-in device and is capable of moving toward or away from the base sheet and cutting the center or the vicinity of the center in the short side direction of the base sheet; a driving means for moving the cutter toward and away from the base sheet at predetermined time intervals; A cultivation sheet manufacturing device characterized by the above.

4. The driving means includes a cam that is driven to rotate, and an arm that holds the cutter and moves up and down relative to the base sheet by the rotation of the cam. A cultivation sheet manufacturing device according to claim 3.

5. The cutter is a circular blade having a disk shape and capable of cutting the base sheet at its outer periphery, A rotation shaft that rotatably holds the cutter; a rotation driving means for rotating the cutter by a predetermined angle when the cutter is moved away from the base sheet by the driving means; A cultivation sheet manufacturing device according to claim 3.

6. A weight is provided which is connected to the rotating shaft. A cultivation sheet manufacturing device according to claim 5.

7. The rotary drive means has a friction member disposed above the rotary shaft, When the cutter is moved away from the base sheet by the driving means, the rotation shaft comes into contact with the friction member to rotate the cutter by a predetermined angle. A method for manufacturing a cultivation sheet according to claim 5.

8. a cutting device having the cutter and the driving means for intermittently making cuts in the center or near the center in the short-side direction of the base sheet; a folding device for folding the base sheet in half along the cut to form the front piece and the rear piece; a joining device that intermittently joins the opposing portions of the front piece and the rear piece along the longitudinal direction of the base sheet; a cutting device for cutting the base sheet into a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction; The drawing device is capable of drawing in the base sheet intermittently, and stops drawing in the base sheet at a timing when the joining device joins the front piece and the rear piece and at a timing when the cutting device cuts the base sheet. A cultivation sheet manufacturing device according to claim 3.

9. The drawing device includes a driving machine and a pair of drawing rollers that are rotationally driven by the driving machine and that clamp the base sheet to draw the base sheet in the one direction, At least one of the pull-in rollers has a recess in a predetermined range in the circumferential direction on its outer periphery that does not come into contact with the base sheet. A cultivation sheet manufacturing device according to claim 8.

Images